Casino Charter Buses Undergo Spot Inspections

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Every day, thousands of people are trying their luck at local casinos.

However, for some who take charter buses, they might be gambling with their lives.

Police spent Monday morning trying to get unsafe buses off the road.

It was an unexpected detour for bus drivers after dropping off passengers at the Rivers Casino.

State Police forced them into a surprise inspection about a block away.

“You kind of assume if someone picks you up on a bus, you’re going to be safe and it has an inspection sticker, but things happen throughout the year,” Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Juan Curry said.

After recent bus crashes on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, police are taking a closer look at safety.

First and foremost, one of the things State Police looked at were the tires. Some of the tires had chunks of tread missing or nails poking out. Those are just some of the violations that were found.

“A chamber that activates the brakes wasn’t properly mounted. It wasn’t enough to take it out of service, but it was a condition where we either want another bus to relieve this one or have it fixed before it leaves here,” Cpl. Curry said.

In the end, while most buses on the roads are safe, but making sure that companies keep them safe is the biggest issue.

“They should be doing pre-trip inspections before they drive away. Inspect the buses at the end of the day, handing in reports for any violations, and the garages and mechanics should be doing follow up inspections as well as general maintenance,” Cpl. Curry said.